UN urges resettlement of quake-hit Syrian refugees from Turkey

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The United Nations on Saturday urged countries to expedite the return of Syrian refugees from earthquake-ravaged areas in Turkey, saying they were experiencing the trauma of loss and displacement all over again.

The UN made the call after 89 Syrian refugees from Turkey landed in Madrid. 

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey on February 6 killed over 50,000 people and thousands more in Syria.

Turkey has hosted for almost 12 years around 3.5 million Syrian refugees who fled the war, and the recent earthquake affected around nine million people, of which over 1.7 million are refugees.  

"Many refugees who fled to Turkey in search of safety and protection have now faced the trauma of loss and displacement once again - losing their homes and livelihoods," the UN's International Organization for Migration and the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint statement.  

"To help protect those refugees most at-risk, and to help alleviate pressures on local communities who themselves are also impacted by this humanitarian disaster, UNHCR is appealing for states to expedite resettlement processes and departures," UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said.

As the earthquake affected many refugees who are now in "dire need of assistance, we urge more states to step up and speed up processes, enabling quick departures from Turkey", he said.  

"This is a tangible expression of solidarity and responsibility sharing and ultimately will ensure immediate, life-changing solutions for refugees who have been made even more vulnerable as a result of the earthquakes."  

International Organization for Migration chief Antonio Vitorino thanked Spain for hosting over 100 Syrian refugees that were impacted by the earthquake and added they hope "to see these efforts replicated swiftly."

Check out: Syrians are being expelled from shelters in Turkey